TIP #79: Help Kids Overcome Fear of the Blank Page
“Fear of the blank page” is real for many students. A fresh piece of paper set in front of them demands action while seeming to taunt, “This better be good”.
So what exactly is going on when this happens? And how can we help students overcome it?
“Fear of the Blank Page”
Atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia is a fancy word that means “the fear of imperfect creative activity on paper”. More commonly known as “fear of the blank page”, or “creative block”, this phenomenon can disable kids and adults alike.
There are two main reasons that students experience fear of the blank page. One is situational, and usually just boils down to needing ideas. The other is more personality driven – but still possible to overcome, and the sooner the better.
1. Situational “fear of the blank page”…
This one is temporary and definitely the lesser of the two evils. It’s simply a problem with knowing where or how to start. It can usually be mitigated by the way a lesson or activity is structured or presented.
When assignments are too open-ended, students can feel overwhelmed by all the choices they face. Structuring assignments with a prompt or a theme is a great place to start. Giving kids some specific things to include will leave room for creativity while providing a framework to build on.
If kids are struggling to come up with ideas for a project, a quick brainstorming session can get their imaginations flowing. Asking them to describe their plan for a project can really help kids who process verbally. Working with a partner is a great way to do this.
2. Personality-driven “fear of the blank page”…
It’s normal for anyone to have trouble coming up with ideas occasionally. But the less pervasive (and more daunting) personality-driven fear of the blank page will appear in the same kids time after time. I’ve seen this show up as early as kindergarten, but more often it begins around grade 3.
Four main “culprits” are at the root of this personality-driven fear.
Your encouragement (below each description) can help students understand what they’re battling. Becoming aware of these challenges is the first step to overcoming them.
1. Perfectionism (fear of being less than perfect)
“’Perfect’ is impossible. It’s okay to have high standards, but they need to be realistic. It takes courage to accept that mistakes are part of the learning process.”
2. Comparison (insecurity that causes comparing oneself to others)
“Focus on your own progress and improvement and don’t worry about what others are doing.”
3. Self-doubt (having a too-harsh inner critic)
“Be kind to yourself. Challenge your negative thoughts. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend.”
4. Imposter syndrome (thinking other people perceive you to be better than you are, and any work you do puts you at risk of being “found out”)
“It’s okay not to know everything. Everyone starts as a beginner. What’s important is your willingness to learn and grow.”
Try these ideas to help students counter their fear of the blank page:
- Break projects down into manageable tasks. Set small goals.
- Begin with some warm-up exercises to engage eye/hand coordination and build comfort with making marks on a page.
- When introducing a new art material or technique, allow students to practice on a smaller piece of paper first. Keep it low-stakes!
- Suggest that students create the worst possible version of whatever they’re struggling with. Then when they’re done, they can improve it.
- Assign a small creative act that can be done every day to reduce the pressure of “getting started”.
- Intersperse some fun art-related activities into your larger assignments. Things like simple guided drawings, a collaborative “Exquisite Corpse” activity, or games like Pictionary can provide a fun, creative break.
- You might even want to avoid starting with a “blank page” at all! Try using a simple template that kids can trace to begin their project. Tracing a circle for a flower, or an oval for a face, can sometimes provide just the support kids need. Or, have students use paint or collage to create an abstract background for their artwork so the paper is no longer “blank”.
- Finally, if you’re allowed to talk about God where you teach, remind students that “Only God is perfect”. It’s amazing how this simple statement can relieve the pressure that’s holding back even your most stubborn perfectionists!
While we can’t completely solve the problem of “fear of the blank page” for our students, we can do our best to set them up for success. By following the suggestions above, we can help them get off to a good start and nurture a healthy mindset along the way.
an inspiring quote
“Limitless choices are overwhelming. It’s impossible to know where to begin.”
~ Anna Held Audette
Giving students unlimited options may seem like a positive, even generous, thing. But in reality it can be paralyzing. Even adults struggle to know where to begin when nearly everything is a possible starting point.
Giving students a framework of choices when beginning a project can provide them with a spark of inspiration and momentum. Choices give students agency in their work, but just a few choices are plenty. Even with the best intentions, unlimited options can overwhelm students, preventing a strong start on their project.